by L J Andrews
“Nuka,” he gasped. “How…you died. I was told everyone…everyone died.”
I darted my eyes between the pair, the tension in the back of my throat making it harder to breathe. Nuka smiled and shook her head. “Well, obviously you thought wrong. I sensed your energy, but could never find you. Did you not sense mine?”
He shook his head. “I never believed anyone was left. Not even a whisper of your energy reached me.”
“Well, you always did find me aggravating, perhaps you blocked me on purpose.” Her words were harsh, but they rolled off her tongue in jest. “Though I cannot say I found you any less annoying.”
“Sapphire,” Teagan hissed. “Who is she?”
Konrad swallowed hard, his desperate coal eyes finding me and Teagan. After he ran his hand through his thick hair once, he spoke, his voice weaker than I’d ever heard before. “She’s…she’s my younger sister.”
Chapter 15
The High Priest
Pain hadn’t always caused the calm in my soul as it did now. Onyx was on his hands and knees, his muscular frame covered in gashes and open wounds. Some had healed only to be reopened when the royal was feeling particularly stubborn.
“You’re ready,” I hissed, dark energy swirling around the two of us. Onyx gasped, breathing deeply as the cool night breeze filled his lungs. If I’d known how the outdoors would only add to my power with the dragon, I would have forced him outside weeks ago.
“How can you be sure?” The bloated old fool, Aldwin, complained.
My teeth clamped shut so tightly I felt the pang in my jaw. When this was over, Aldwin would be the first annoyance I would rid from my life. “You can feel it, Elder. Are you not in tune with energies? What bleeds from his soul now?”
“I think what Aldwin is getting at is the cunning mind of this particular royal. What if he is deceiving you?” Nag snarled. The lindworm king seemed more haggard than before.
Weeks had passed by without even the faintest glimmer of energy from the rogue prince and the elementals. Nor any of the common mages, until now.
The first sense of the different energy had caused my chest to nearly split when the surge of power had passed by. Onyx had reacted first—it was a clear sign the elemental stone was near by the way he squirmed and pleaded for his power. His painful reaction yearned for the energy he controlled, but there had been more. The stone’s fleeting sensation was surrounded by elemental energy. Immediately, I’d sent mages to investigate. The dark mages found where they’d gone and reported the energy was truly warriors and royals. I was thrilled. But when my mages had explained the lindworm prince, the queen, and the dragon mage were in the group, I was beside myself. Disappointment was an understatement at Nag’s reaction.
A once feared, monstrous serpent, he simply looked old now.
Growling low in the back of my throat, I clasped a handful of Onyx’s long, dark hair. Blood crusted along the waves, but it seemed his scalp was so numb he didn’t even wince when I tugged his head back so he was forced to meet my eye. “Who did this to you?” I muttered next to his ear.
The dragon’s eyes in human form had once been soft and penetrating. Now the rich brown was like the harshest starless night. Thick ashen circles pillowed beneath his glassy expression, but I saw what I’d been poisoning his mind to believe in his gaze. “The mage,” he grumbled.
“What mage?”
“The stone mage,” Onyx gasped. “The water stone mage.”
Chuckling, I glanced at Aldwin and Nag, showing them Onyx’s pure hatred. The dragon heaved, snarling in the back of his throat, when I stroked the back of his head. “Yes, you’re right,” I crooned. “You deserve vengeance. You deserve to make those who imprisoned you pay. What will you do to them?” Onyx roared into the night, his muscles convulsing as his form desperately yearned to shift into the dark dragon. “No, not yet. There will be time for flying soon enough.”
Nag finally grinned. “He is filled with such…fury. I do not impress easily, but I must say, High Priest, I am stunned at your level of manipulation. I would wager he would slit his own throat if you convinced him enough.”
I nodded, pulling Onyx to his feet. Behind the elemental royal were dozens of lindworm warriors waiting to take flight. They simply watched like marble statues. “Onyx, what do you plan to do when you find them?”
“Take back the stone—my stone,” he hissed, handing a dark mage a long black blade Nag had supplied for the royal. The hilt was poisoned even more with my manipulation.
“You will not go with him, High Priest?” Aldwin snapped.
Glaring at the old dragon, I balled my fist around the pommel of the elemental stone sword. How I wished I had all the energies—with a single thought, the man would be nothing but dust. “I am too powerful and will be detected if I get too close. I have already explained the dragon mage is actively looking for my energy, as the prince will be. They will not be wary of Onyx.”
“Besides, the High Priest and I have another visit to make. There are mages who need their leader once again,” Nag cackled darkly.
I sneered, actually looking forward to our surprise interrogation after searching for them for so long. It was always enjoyable returning to my own people—it had been so long, after all.
“What will you do with the lindworm prince?” Nag grumbled toward Onyx when Aldwin huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.
“Return him here for his trial. And the elemental royals,” Onyx recited like a rote verse. The exact thoughts had pummeled his brain without rest for months now. “I will be free to kill the stone mage?”
I nodded, finding a sort of twisted pleasure in the idea that another bond would be destroyed, as mine with the jade bloodline had severed. Onyx would be lost to the corrupted night energy when he slaughtered his own mage; there would be no coming back from that act. If all went well, we would be granted the onyx stone, Prince Ced, the queen, and the sniveling amber bloodline royal, on top of keeping Onyx as my personal warrior. “You have freedom to kill anyone, the stone mage first, but your next priority will be who?”
Onyx glared, his lip curling like a feral beast. “The dragon mage.”
The chuckle escaped my throat now, and even Nag joined in. Aldwin still seemed unimpressed, but his worthless opinion meant little to me. “As I said, you’re ready. Warriors, stand beside Onyx and take his lead. Do not return unless you’re successful.”
One by one, the lindworm warriors peeled into the dark-scaled serpents, their curled fangs slashing in the fading light. Onyx grinned impishly at the stars, taking his place at the head of the army, and rolled into the impressive royal dragon. Onyx had mightier wings than even King Lux had, and his skull was broad and strong. A mage mounted each wyvern, holding three or more blades for themselves and if the dragons shifted.
With the flick of my hand, Onyx burst into the sky. I latched my connection with his warped energy so I wouldn’t lose him through the night. There was not even the slightest hint of the royals buried in his lost mind. Watching the dark dragons fade in the night, I reveled in the moment. The elementals would not know how to react in the least to what was coming.
Chapter 16
The meal was over for the royals. Sapphire paced in a concealed space away from the tables. Ruby clutched her middle, lost in her own thoughts. Amber was trying to conceal her smile, but I could sense how thrilled she was to see this Nuka again. Donovan stood somber between Thane and Leoch, while Mitch couldn’t peel his eyes away from Nuka’s smooth, olive complexion. Raffi and Teagan muttered to each other. I was lost in my own battle between frustration and awe.
“You had a sister? You’ve never mentioned anyone but your parents,” I muttered at Sapphire when the silence became too much to bear.
The small cavern was pungent with the clean scent of red sand after rainfall. I enjoyed the smell, it calmed the turmoil in my stomach. I was tired of swallowing scorching acid. Fiery blood and an upset stomach simply didn’t fit well.
Sapphire met my eye, slowing his pacing and glancing back at his sister. Nuka was perched on a smooth stone jutting from the sand. Garwin stood in the shadows behind her without his pleasant grin anymore.
With a heavy sigh, Sapphire inched to my side. “I had three siblings. All sisters. Nuka was the youngest and was sleeping in the tower with other younger children the night of the divide.” He faced his sister. “The tower caught fire. No one was said to have survived, and I am yet to hear an explanation how my sister could have walked free.”
Sapphire’s voice shifted to a smooth growl. Nuka scoffed and slowly rose to her feet. She was stunning. Her eyes had more brown than Sapphire’s, but they still had the ability to stop the heart for a few pulses when she smoldered her gaze in any direction. “I was so angry to be placed with the rest of the young royals. I mean, even my infant, princess cousin,” she muttered, pointing at my direction. I’d nearly forgotten I was actually related to the sapphire bloodline. Eisha had explained my line, and my mother was a cousin to Konrad’s father. The relation through my years growing near Sapphire had only bonded us closer in friendship. I wish I could say I felt the same for Nuka. “Even she was placed closer to the celebrations every night. I should think my survival was obvious. I snuck out and tried to find my way to the banquet hall. Of course, I couldn’t know what was happening below.”
Nuka cleared her throat and stepped back toward Garwin, showing any hint of vulnerability in her tormented expression for the first time since she’d revealed herself.
“You said you sensed my energy,” Sapphire said softly. “How was I so cut off from you?”
Nuka shrugged, the smirk on her stony face returning. “Who’s to say? The mages really wanted to divide our people, I suppose. I’m surprised to see them here. How can you trust them after what happened? Especially you, Queen Jade.”
I startled, surprised by the sudden attention. “You ask because the dark High Priest betrayed my family?”
Nuka smirked and gave an arrogant glance toward Garwin. “Yes, that is exactly what I mean. You are close with this mage who holds the same blades that slaughtered your family.”
Teagan’s arms were folded over his chest, but I saw his fists ball. I understood, in this moment, whether it was exhaustion from our travels or the pressures mounting against my people, I understood the bitter frustration the same as him. “I grow so tired of my people thinking the mage are enemies because of the actions of the dark High Priest.” The room silenced as I ran a hand over the bridge of my nose. Amber nodded in agreement, and Ruby stepped closer toward Donovan as though she were ready to protect the onyx mage.
“Well, how could we trust them? Bron was the High Priest—their leader—and he slaughtered our people.”
“Yes,” I snapped, a sick wave in my middle forcing me to clutch my stomach where it was pleasantly rounding more than when we’d left. The energy wave collided with my emotions. I sensed how connected my body was with the new dragon mage, and it sent my head into a brief spin. Teagan stood at my side, but I offered him a small smile to calm his nerves. Nuka eyed me curiously, and it seemed every other royal had been waiting to for me to birth a child by the way their eyes widened. “Yes, he did. But do not forget, King Nag was the one who murdered my grandfather. Bron was the leader of the mage, but so was Gaia, and she has fought against her own people just as we did. It remains a shock to me that the wyvern race will not pause from our own grief for a moment to realize a second race lost everything that night too. How many mages died along with my parents, with our warriors, our people?”
“I did not take time to consider,” Nuka insisted.
“No one does,” I interjected quickly. “I do not want Teagan linked to the dark High Priest for another moment. He has no relation to the coward, he is the son of a warrior and the High Priestess. His blades were not used against my family—yes, they belonged to Bron, but the moment he betrayed our people, the bond was severed. Those swords have defended our people from the beginning and continue to protect us. The mages will remain our allies as long as I am queen.”
Nuka still held a smug expression as she studied me, her dark eyes occasionally drifting toward Teagan at my side. Finally, she chuckled and leaned back against the wall. “It is so strange to hear you speak. You were such a tiny thing when I last saw you.”
“You were a child as well, Nuka,” Sapphire grumbled. “You’re not much older than the queen.”
“True,” she smirked. “Though I think I’ve seen more of the backlash of the divide than any of you. We have lived in hiding all these years, without any idea where our great armies were, where the royal bloodlines were hidden. Years of not knowing.”
Nuka spoke to me, her eyes never blinking. Two long strides and I was squared in front of her, challenging her steady stare. “You lived as we lived. Except we were locked behind an enchantment, unable to shift forms. I knew nothing except that I was the jade royal and I was meant to lead my people, when I didn’t even know where they were. If you thought anyone was forgotten, you are gravely mistaken. Though I am young, I never forgot that our entire race was scattered. Do not lecture any of us on the pains of being cut off. If you thought we were dining in castles and safely protected by hordes of warriors—think again.”
“You have a powerful voice,” Nuka whispered. “I think my older brother has had quite the influence on you.”
“I would not be here without him,” I agreed, refusing to take her bait against Sapphire. “I’m sorry you feel abandoned—I have shared many of those feelings, too—but look into any heart in this room, I know you’re able. Do you think if we had known—if we’d been able to come to you—we would have simply ignored you? That is why we’ve come now, to gather our people once again and finally end this divide.”
Nuka held my gaze for a long moment. Cautiously, her gaze drifted to Ruby, then Amber. She held her brother’s stare for a trembling moment. I was surprised how long she studied Thane. The pressure in the room pressed against my skull. Every heartbeat rushed pounding blood in my ears. I felt ridiculously human in the moment. My energy faded, and my body was burdened with each ache, pain, and discomfort from the energy swell in my stomach. As though he sensed my ailments, Teagan rested a gentle hand along the small of my back. Taking a breath of relief, I embraced the rejuvenating surge of his energy as it filtered through the bonds we shared.
“I will not stand in the way of anyone who wishes to join you,” Nuka finally declared with a glance toward Garwin. “I’m afraid I have made my life here now. I am pleased to see you, brother, but I washed my hands of my position in the royal bloodlines long ago. This is no longer my war.”
“It is your war, whether you admit it or not, Nuka,” Sapphire grumbled. “You can say the words, but every wyvern in existence will be affected. You cannot hide here, and you abandon your people if you cower away.”
“Don’t speak to me of abandoning my people,” Nuka hissed.
“No,” Sapphire bellowed in a fury I’d never witnessed before. “You do not get to blame me for leaving you behind. I have explained from my side. I would never, never have left you had I known. You know I valued my sisters. I loved you—I still do. But the fact we were lost to each other is no more my fault than yours. As the queen stated, we all have been living in our own form of exile. Even the warriors, the mages. Everyone. Now is the time to end the divide. Our people deserve to be together again.”
Nuka’s skin peeled back in a frenzy. I tried to keep my expression locked in a scowl, but the corners of my lips betrayed me when I gazed over her beautiful blue scales that had a rich purple woven along her spine. Nuka’s wings were smaller than Sapphire’s, but still gleamed in the iridescent regal blue I’d flown next to. Konrad grunted and rolled his eyes before his body transformed into his powerful wyvern shape.
Sapphire stood an entire dragon skull taller than his younger sister. His jaws were broader, his fangs longer, but the resemblance in wyvern form was uncanny.
&n
bsp; “It would seem the siblings wish to speak in private,” Garwin breathed.
I wanted to command them to shift into human form. I was angry at Nuka for not being willing to give anyone a chance. She hadn’t even tried to read our hearts, but I stopped my inner ranting when I glanced at Teagan. His eyes were focused on the stone, the muscles in his jaw twitching as he remained silent. Smirking, I knew—he was eavesdropping.
Biting the inside of my cheek, I muffled a chuckle and my desire to ask him about the conversation.
I didn’t have to wait long before the tips of Teagan’s ears reddened and he stomped next to the two dragons. “Hey, I take offense to that. I don’t offend easily, but when you start saying things about my mom, or Jade, you really need to stop.”
Nuka and Sapphire’s dark eyes shot to Teagan. Raffi perked as well, watching Teagan stomp toward the two dragons. Thane eyed them cautiously, ready to step in if needed, but he seemed rather content to let Teagan handle the situation.
Sapphire shifted first, his eyes wide as he studied Teagan. “Could you hear us?”
Teagan nodded, glaring at Nuka when she drifted to her slender form. The blue gown created by her scales fit her figure perfectly, and I was suddenly envious for the boil of the shift. Taking a deep breath, I rested my hand over my stomach. It wouldn’t be long—it would be worth it.
“Surprise,” Teagan grumbled.
“How can you…how is that possible? Only wyverns can speak to each other in true form.”
“One of the perks of being a dragon mage.”
“Wait!” Raffi shouted. “How long have you been listening, exactly?”
Mitch seemed overjoyed, and I could practically hear his thoughts begging Teagan to irk Raffi with stretched truths.